Rose City Forecast 24: PTFC vs LAG

Last week the Timbers became just the third team to visit Houston and come away with points in 2017. While ultimately the draw was disappointing after leading for much of the game, it’s still a very good point, and the Timbers will happily take it back to Portland. With almost a full-strength lineup (just missing a LB), the Timbers held possession and generally created good chances on the way to two goals, one from Valeri and one from Blanco. Unfortunately, each time PTFC scored, Houston answered, ending the game at 2-2.

Pick of the week goes to shrekpdx, who came away with 12 points after correctly predicting the score, the Valeri to Blanco goal, and under on cards. MacVanek takes home the most recommended prediction for something I truly would’ve liked to see: Porter in his technical area wearing not a suit, but shorts and a tank top, as if he was on vacation in the tropics. That would be the day.

Here are standings. Let me know where I messed up!

Returning home this week, however, the Timbers will need to do better than draw to start working their way back up the standings. On PPG, they still sit sixth, and barely ahead of San Jose, so even if form looks like it might be turning around, it needs to be consistent. The newly Schmidified LA Galaxy come to town on Sunday, and on the edge of missing the playoffs for the first time in something close to a decade, they’ll surely be out for blood. However, they will be missing Jelle Van Damme, as he got himself sent off in their game last weekend. Also of import - despite being below the red line, the Galaxy have the best away record in the west, with five road wins. So, regardless of standings, the Timbers will have a game on their hands, and had better be ready. Can they do it and get a start on an unbeaten streak?

Over/under: 4.5 total cards

The Scoring Format:

• Correct score: 5 points
• Correct result (draw/win/loss): 3 points
• Each clean sheet: 2 points
• Each goal-scorer: 1 point
• Each FK/PK/assist/lack of assist: 1 point
• Goal/assist bonus: 1 point
• Player with the first yellow card of the match: 1 point
• Each player with a red card: 1 point (Cannot earn points for predicting 0 red cards)
• Over/under on total cards: 1 point
• Most recommended/most outrageously accurate prediction: 2 points

Some ground rules and explanations/clarifications (the fine print):

You may amend your prediction at any point up to kick off to account for game day 18 announcements. Though I recommend at least getting an initial prediction sooner, just in case you forget to come back in that hour or two before the game.

Keep your scoreline predictions realistic. Basically, if you’re predicting lots of goals all the time to just earn points on goals and assists and ignoring the score, I feel that goes against the spirit of this thread. This hasn’t been at all a problem in the last two years, so let’s keep it that way!

The goal/assist bonus is an additional point if you correctly get the correct scorer and assistant on the same goal. (e.g., if Nagbe scores, assisted by Valeri, and you predicted that exact combination you get a total of three points - 1 goal, 1 assist, 1 bonus. However, if you predicted Nagbe scores assisted by Adi and Adi scores assisted by Valeri, you would get two points from the Nagbe/Valeri prediction - 1 goal, 1 assist)

Please be clear whether you think a goal will be unassisted, assisted, or from a PK/FK. Unassisted = no assist, run of play; Assisted = player who got the assist; PK/FK = directly from a free kick. For the purposes of this thread, a PK counts as a FK, and a FK as a PK. If you just leave the assist section blank, I will assume you’re declining to make an assist prediction.

Even though a player can be awarded a secondary assist by OPTA, I will award a maximum of one assist point per goal. But that point can come from either the primary or secondary assist in the box score. However, please keep your predictions to one assist per goal.

For the over/under on cards, a second yellow leading to a red counts as two cards, not three.

You may predict more than one red card if you’re expecting a chippy match, but only up to three total.

Most weeks, I will reward the most recommended prediction with the 2 points. However, if someone predicts that Caleb will bring a towel to dry off Seattle’s field, and he does, they’ll probably get those two points, regardless of whether they got the recs. We’ll also be testing this out, because I want to be careful that this doesn’t end up favoring the first few people to post their prediction. As I see it, the goal here is to add even more fun without going too over-the-top ridiculous.

If you’re looking for where I set the over/under on total cards, check the end of the preview paragraph after the standings.

Format:

In the comment title, post your predicted score with the winners, eg: 4-2 Timbers

In the body of your comment, start with the goals and assists, like so:

Nagbe (Valeri)

Valeri (Free kick)

Adi (PK)

Blanco (Unassisted)

Beckham (Free kick)

Donovan (Beckham)

Next, choose your first yellow card, and that means picking only one person.

First yellow to Nigel De Jong

Then reds, if any. (NOTE: no points awarded for correctly calling a red-card-free match, so take a guess.)

Nigel De Jong gets a red card for stomping Blanco.

Clearly note whether you’re predicting over or under on total cards. Don’t leave me to try and figure it out!

And lastly, make your fun prediction.

Nigel de Jong tries to stomp Nagbe’s ankle again, but this time, Nagbe avoids the tackle. Being angry Nagbe for the first time in three years, he kicks the ball straight into NDJ’s groin. Camera pans to a trademark Chara smile.

As always, any questions about anything?